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Tongans arrested in kingdom and Australia share links to gang with long, bloody, history

By
Kaniva Staff
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Tongan police say there is no place for gangs in the kingdom, but Police Commissioner Shane McLennan has warned that the Comancheros want to start a new chapter in the island nation.

A Comanchero Sgt-at-Arms has been swept up in the nation’s biggest organised crime sting as other bikies sweat on covert message. Photo/Herald Sun

He said there had been a clear intent for the Comancheros to expand their reach into the kingdom.

The comments came in the wake of the wave of arrests that saw 17 people, including two Comancheros, taken into custody recently.

The gang, which originated in Australia, already has a strong presence in New Zealand, with local leader Pasilika Naufahu currently serving a nine year sentence for taking part in an organised criminal group, conspiring to deal drugs, money laundering, possession of ammunition and assault. He has been denied bail because he is considered an excessive risk if released.

The Australian gang has attracted Tongan members on its home ground as well. A recent police operation led to the arrest of hundreds of gang members and associates. Among those listed as being associated with the Comancheros were several Tongans. They were:

Christian Taumoefolau, 31, alleged Sergeant-at-Arms of the Victorian Comanchero chapter.

Tevita Ofahengaue, 21, Victoria

George Afeaki, 26, Victoria

Judah Earl Lavulo, 30, was listed as a member of the Lone Wolf gang.

Edward George ‘Etu’ Lavulo, 32, NSW

History of violence

The Comancheros gang  has a long history of violence and drug smuggling, with links to major drug cartels in Central and South America. 

The Comancheros Motorcycle Club was formed in Sydney by Scottish immigrant William Ross in 1968.

The club was named after the John Wayne film of the same name.

Ross ran his club in almost as a military operation, demanding members do drill and forming an elite squad of the hardest and most violent members. Police considered them the most violent of Australia’s many outlaw biker clubs in the 1970s-1980s owing to their frequent brawls.

The club’s history has been marked by violent splits, links with international crime syndicates and drug smuggling. Brawling and murder have marred their reputation. In 1984 a gun battle with the American-based Bandidos left seven people dead.

In 2009 the Comancheros and Hells Angels clashed at Sydney Airport, leaving one dead. Different Commancheros chapters have clashed and relations with other gangs have descended into lethal clashes.

The gang has a long association with drug smuggling and dealing and has ties to Central and South American cartels.

Prime target

The Comancheros’ activities have spread into the Pacific as Australia has become a prime target for drug smugglers. The gang has gained a foothold in Tonga, which has become a dumping ground for Tongans convicted of criminal activities in other countries, including Comanchero members.

This follows a similar pattern in which deportees from other countries, predominantly the United States, have sought to establish a drug trade in Tonga using previous connections with gangs like the Crips. There are Tongan Crips gangs in Utah, California, Alaska and Auckland.

As Kaniva News reported earlier this week Tongan Police have arrested and charged 17 people in relation to seizure of more than six kilograms of methamphetamine,  vehicles and assets linked to the Comancheros. The drugs were imported into the kingdom from the United States.

Two of those arrested are suspected gang members. Police said they had been deported from Australia and were trying to increase the presence of the gang in the kingdom.

One of them has been identified as Eneasi Taumoefolau, a senior patched member who was deported from Australia in October 2022.

The police also seized TP$12,058 in cash, firearms, ammunitions and eight vehicles.

Last week we reported that a customs officer and a Prisons officer had been arrested after investigations pointed to the smuggling of methamphetamine into Tonga was organised from within Hu’atolitoli Prison by a prisoner.

Tongan police said there was no place in Tonga for gangs.

“We will do everything in our power to bring to justice those involved in drug trafficking and money laundering,” Police said.

“Tonga Police would also like to warn the public about the increased presence and illegal activities of the Comanchero Motorcycle Gang in our community.”

‘First white humpback born in Tonga’, claims Communication Minister

By
Kaniva Staff
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Photographers in Tonga’s Vava’u islands have captured rare footage of a white southern right whale.

The Minister for Communication (MEIDECC), Fekita ‘Utoikamanu, claimed it was the first white humpback whale born in Tonga.

One video, seen by Kaniva News, shows a white whale swimming alongside several other non-white whales in the crystal-blue water.

Kaniva News was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the footage.

However, it was claimed the footage was taken in Vava’u.

“First white humpback born in Tonga, Vava’u”, Mrs ‘Utoikamanu wrote on Facebook.

She said that this was an Australian Migaloo whale and that it was especially rare. The Minister did not provide further details as to why she claimed the white whale originated in Tonga.

It’s whale watching season in Tonga, running from July to October every year.

Tourists and whale enthusiasts in Vava’u islands have the unique opportunity to snorkel with these gentle giants and observe them in the tropical waters.

Migaloo

The white whale’s name was Migaloo, which is the term used by the Australian Aboriginal community in Queensland to refer to a “White Fella.”

It was first sighted on 28 June 1991 on the Australian east coast near Byron Bay.

This unusual whale was, at that time, the only documented all-white humpback whale in the world.

The White Whale Research Centre (WWRC) was established in 1997 in Australia to raise awareness of Migaloo.

It is a collaboration of research conducted by renowned marine experts and citizen scientists who have collected and recorded sightings over the years.

Hawke’s Bay street named after Samoan community leader

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Mary Afemata, rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

A Pasifika community leader’s legacy will be immortalised as he becomes the first Sāmoan to have a street named after him in Hawke’s Bay, 23 years after his death.

Tuivaiti Fetaiaimauso Tuivaiti will have his legacy of 'tautua' honoured with a street named after him. Photo / Supplied
Tuivaiti Fetaiaimauso Tuivaiti will have his legacy of ‘tautua’ honoured with a street named after him. Photo / Supplied (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)

Tuigate’i Tiute Fiu said it’s an honour for her grandfather Tuivaiti Fetaiaimauso Tuivaiti to be recognised.

“Our family are still in shock because they didn’t really know how much he contributed to Hawke’s Bay.”

Tuivaiti moved to Hawke’s Bay in the late eighties with his wife. He had seven children including Tuigate’i’s mother Sapini.

“When he moved here, I think there was something missing in the community back then,” said Tuigate’i.

He was known for his ‘tautua’ (service) to his community and church through the Pacific Islanders Congregational Church in Auckland and Hawke’s Bay.

“Where do I start?” said Tuigate’i of her grandfather’s work and the kind of person he was.

“There’s so many stories and I only have my own stories,” she said.

Photo Samoan Cricket Club with Tuivaiti: Tuigate'i says she remembers her grandfather Tuivaiti at her cricket games and this photo is of the Sāmoan Cricket Club he was a part of. Tuivaiti is in the backrow, second from the right. Photo / Ian Stowers
Photo Samoan Cricket Club with Tuivaiti: Tuigate’i says she remembers her grandfather Tuivaiti at her cricket games and this photo is of the Sāmoan Cricket Club he was a part of. Tuivaiti is in the backrow, second from the right. Photo / Ian Stowers (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)

She recalled his presence at her cricket and volleyball games when she was about 10.

“There were kids who were younger than me that were involved in these games who are now in their late 30s, 40s, who still carry on those memories of my grandfather and the older generation who have been part of that and still talk about how the community just thrived back in the ’90s.”

Although she was young, she picked up on the little things about her grandfather.

“He made a lot of friends through different denominations. They just shared that there was a need to bring the community together and he did it.”

In 2022 it was announced that eight new streets in three Flaxmere housing developments would be given special names based on community feedback.

At the time, Flaxmere councillor Peleti Oli, who was also Hasting’s first Pasifika councillor, said the names selected had all featured in the Flaxmere Heroes calendar of the 11 years it was published, and represented “Flaxmere heroes who have passed on”.

“Naming these streets after our local people makes them part of our community forever — whenever we go here, we will remember what they have contributed to Pāharakeke, and how much they have helped make it the awesome place that it is.”

Tuivaiti Street for Tuivaiti Fetaiaimauso Tuivaiti. Photo / Supplied
Tuivaiti Street for Tuivaiti Fetaiaimauso Tuivaiti. Photo / Supplied (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)

Tuigate’i found out through social media that one of the streets would be named after her grandfather. Tuivaiti St, for Tuivaiti Fetaiaimauso Tuivaiti.

“Something popped up on Facebook of street names that they were having for this new development in Flaxmere.

“And something in my brain was like, ‘What?’ I scrolled down the page and burst into tears just seeing my grandfather’s name.”

The opportunity came about through Oli, who contacted her brother to gather information about their grandfather. Her brother teaches at the school attended by Oli’s children.

“I think just honouring him and continuing to try and give back to the community as he did, I think that’s what we all just need to live for.

“He didn’t do it for recognition, his service here on earth. And so, we have big shoes to fill.”

Behind every strong, confident man is the wife that carries everyone else, said Tuigate’i.

“My beloved grandmother, who passed away in 1995, still did her part.

“She was the seamstress for the choirs. She would sew all their outfits and it was another part to what he contributed to the community.

“So he was the face and she was holding it up from behind at home.”

It’s taken two years since the announcement to finalise a date so the family can plan a street opening.

Of her grandparents Caroline and Tuivaiti's legacy, Tuigate'i says the community remembers their legacy of tautua. Photo / Supplied
Of her grandparents Caroline and Tuivaiti’s legacy, Tuigate’i says the community remembers their legacy of tautua. Photo / Supplied (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)

“For the family, until we actually cut those ribbons and unveil the street name, the emotions are just going to keep rolling.”

The street naming ceremony will take place on August 24. A private event will be held to unveil the street name and share memories of her grandfather over lunch.

By Mary Afemata, Local Democracy Reporter

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

Josh Tatofi thrills fans at ‘Atele Indoor Stadium

By
Kaniva Staff
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The ‘Atele Indoor Stadium in Tonga had been filled with tauelangi and māfana tonight as Josh Tatofi’s strength and tranquil presence captivated the audience.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Sēmisi Sika (L) with Josh Tatofi and others at the concert. Photo/ Semisi Sika (Facebook)

The Hoku Award winner and Grammy nominee was in American Samoa and Apia, Samoa, performing there before traveling to Tonga for the incredible concert.

“It’s been a truly fulfilling experience, and I can’t wait to see you all again soon’, he told his Samoan fans.

“Now, onward to the Kingdom of Tonga! See you soon!”

The ‘Atele Indoor Stadium performance turned out to be a real blast.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Sēmisi Sika mentioned being at the concert and explained the intense excitement and warmth the fans experienced.

“Josh man you killed it!”, Sika said.

He said the show was on point, “and Ouana blew the Atele Indoor roof off”.

He thanked “the team for pulling it all together last minute despite limited resources /funds. The Concert was straight fire, the crowd was lit, going wild”.

The much-anticipated Pacific tour was organised to connect Tatofi’s music with fans across the Pacific Islands, enriching their cultural and emotional landscapes.

In Samoa, his presence and meeting with media described him as “was profound and enlightening, revealing how his Polynesian heritage has shaped his career and kept him grounded”, a report by Samoa Observer said.

Taofi’s music was described as “from the heart, speaks to the soul, and makes all Pacific Islanders proud”.

He was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father, an established Tongan-Hawai’i-based musician Tivaini Tatofi, is an original member of the acclaimed reggae band Kapena.

Court rules Auditor’s report on Lavulavu’s school attendance cannot be used as evidence

By
Philip Cass
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The Supreme Court has ruled that a report compiled by the Auditor General’s department on a school at the centre of the Lavulavu’s trial cannot be used as evidence in court.

‘Etuate Lavulavu (L) and Akosita Lavulavu

Judge ‘E.M.Langi, presiding, said the standard of the material in the report amounted to hearsay.

The judge ruled that the Auditor General’s Report dated October 5, 2016 was inadmissible as evidence in the Lavulavu’s retrial proper.

He said the report could not be relied upon by the Crown as evidence of the truth of its contents. 

On October 10, 2022, the Court of Appeal quashed convictions against Etuate and Akosita Lavulavu for obtaining money by false pretences for their private college, Unuaki o Tonga Royal Institute and ordered a retrial. 

The retrial was set to run before the then Lord Chief Justice Whitten on May 8, 2023. The Crown intended to rely on a report from the Auditor General dated October 5, 2016, but on May 1, 2023, the Defendants‟ filed objections to the admissibility of the Auditor Generals Report.

The retrial was initially listed to commence in May 2023, but for various reasons did not proceed.

On August 16, 2023, Mr. Lavulavu filed supplementary submissions in respect of his objections to the Report and contended that the process by which the Auditor General produced his Report was improper, unlawful, unreasonable, irrational, procedurally unfair and is unacceptable.

Former Lord Chief Justice Whitten determined that the content of those supplementary submissions would have to be dealt with by way of a voir dire, including the calling of evidence.

The voire dire eventually began on November 7, 2023.

After considering the submissions of both parties on the scope of the voir dire, I agreed with Mrs. Fa‟anunu and Mr. Lavulavu that the evidence by Crown witness Ms. Popua Mafi may have exceeded the scope of the voir dire grounds, the judgement read.

“On December 18, 2023, amended grounds of objections were filed on behalf of the First Defendant.  On 31 January 2024, I issued written directions on the scope of the voir dire”, the judgement also read.

“Before the continuation of the evidence of Popua Mafi I informed the parties that the only grounds that I would consider for the purposes of this voir dire were hearsay and unlawfully obtained evidence. I informed them that I would not be concerned with any issues of credibility or reliability, as they were matters for the trial proper,” the judge said.

The first Crown witness was Salome Lavemaau, who led the team assigned to audit the relevant TVET grants to the Lavulavu’s private college, Unuaki „o Tonga Royal Institute (UTRI) together with Lutimila Tafea and Sefita Leha.

They audited the school for the period Semester 1 of 2013, Semester 2 of 2014 and Semester 1 of 2015;

Salome’s role was to review the expenses for which the TVET grants were used. Half of the grant was to be used for teachers salaries, with the remaining 50 percent divided between teaching and learning resources.

She was provided with UTRI financial statement and receipts and noticed that the details on the receipts were inconsistent with the financial statements. The mority of the receipts were not for expenses for renovating the school which was the main purpose of this part of the grant. Consequently, when the expenses did not add up, she submitted her report in which she stated that she was not satisfied with the information provided.

The audit took three to four weeks, which was the normal period for schools. Prior to conducting the audit of UTRI, she had been involved in carrying out the audit of Ahopanilolo in relation to TVET grants. She was also involved in going out to various villages with Lutimila Tafea and Popua Mafi, to interview students whose names were on the UTRI enrolment list.

The interviews were necessary to confirm the correct number of students because when the officers discussed their findings, it was apparent that some of the names on the UTRI list were also names of students that were on the list of students for Ahopanilolo for 2015.

The interview dates, name of the interviewer and those interviewed were recorded on a worksheet. Sometimes the actual students would not be present and the person who was being interviewed was written in a bracket beside the name of the student;.

After the answers were recorded, they were read back to the student and if they were happy with those answers, the student was then asked to sign the worksheet.  It was important for them to ask the students their form of payment for school fees because the UTRI documents contained different forms of payment such as student loan or by Tongan goods and so forth.

The team continued to conduct interviews, examine records and took documents from the school. 

The main purpose for the TVET grants audit was to confirm the number of students that received the grant. There were two crucial questions to be answered. Firstly, did the student pay school fees and secondly, did he or she attend school? The risk was that a student could be receipted as having paid school fees, but they did not attend school. There was also the risk of a name being submitted, but there was no such student. The same could be said if reversed, in that a name on the list could show attendance but that person never paid school fees.

“The main purpose for the TVET grants audit was to confirm the number of students that received the grant,” the judge said in his summing up.

“There were two crucial questions to be answered. Firstly, did the student pay school fees and secondly, did he or she attend school? The risk was that a student could be receipted as having paid school fees, but they did not attend school. There was also the risk of a name being submitted, but there was no such student. The same could be said if reversed, in that a name on the list could show attendance but that person never paid school fees.

The first of several recommendations was that the college should pay back $553,800 because it should have received the money.

Arguments were presented to the court that the evidence gathered from the interviews were hearsay insofar as they were statements gathered from interviewees who may or may not have been the students or directly involved or had direct knowledge of the situation.

Arguments were also by the Crown that the evidence could be admitted because some exceptions were allowable.

“If the root of the evidence is hearsay, you simply cannot go around it because it infects everything that follows it or flows from it,” the judge said.

“The audit officers’ assessments are that x number of students are unreliable and there are anomalies in the TVET grant applications. And after investigating, that is interviewing students or their families and town officers, they recommend that this amount of money should not have been paid.

“When you trace back all those calculations, it comes back to the students, the names on the worksheets where an auditor says I spoke to so and so and he or she is not a real student.

“When the audit team handed the information to the Auditor General to compile his report, it‟s double hearsay. In a nutshell, the Auditor General is saying ‘my team member told me that someone told him that he did not attend school’ or ‘did not pay school fees’” and so on. The assessments themselves are informed by hearsay evidence.”

The problem is the family’: Fiji drug use crisis

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific Journalist

  • Fiji’s battling with a hard drugs crisis and people are worried the situation is getting worse.
  • Locals in the capital say the surge in drug use, especially among the youth, is due to a loss of “family values”.
  • The drug problem is also causing a rise in new HIV cases.

Navitalai Tamanitoakula blames the departure of “family values” for the increasing drug use in Fiji.

Navitalai Tamanitoakula blames the departure of “family values” for the increasing drug use in Fiji. Photo: Caleb Fotheringham

People in Fiji’s capital, Suva, are laying the blame squarely on the loss of family values for the nation’s meth crisis.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has pleaded with the public not to even think about trying drugs last month after a video of a young naked women reportedly begging for a hit circled social media.

There have also been reports making headlines of users “blasting” or “bluetoothing” the highly addictive drug, locally known as ‘ice’.

The practice of bluetoothing is when someone attempts to get high by withdrawing blood from a host – who has injected meth – and injecting it into a second person, a dangerous practice that has serious health consequences.

Navitalai Tamanitoakula, who was in Suva from Nausori on a Saturday morning, confirmed to RNZ Pacific what was an open secret: that the drug situation was getting worse.

“I can see that in the town, by looking at the people, especially the young people,” he said, adding “when you look at their faces you can identify them, they’re high,” he said.

“You can always see them in the corner with a bottle of glue and breathing it. They ask for money.”

He said before “youths” would be in the village but now they are loitering in the city.

Tamanitoakula blames the departure of “family values” for exacerbating this issue.

“The problem is the family, children should go back home, the parents should look after the children to discipline them.

“Now [children] can talk back to their parents and sometimes it even gets to the stage that they can swear at their parents.”

Pacific meth cocaine route map.

Fiji is used as a transit point for meth and cocaine. Photo: Edin Pasovic / OCCRP

‘Definitely getting worse’

Pauline Doris, like Tamanitoakula, thinks parents have a bigger role to play.

“It’s also the responsibility of a parent to look after their child to make sure they do not get involved in those things,” she said.

“It’s definitely getting worse but [the government] haven’t done anything to solve the problem.”

Doris has heard drugs are mostly affecting secondary school students but does not know anyone who is taking them.

“I’ve heard news and rumours, especially from some of my friends that some of their family members are caught and they have been reprimanded to the police station.”

Pauline Doris says it's the responsibility parents to make sure their children do not get involved in drugs.

Pauline Doris says it’s the responsibility parents to make sure their children do not get involved in drugs. Photo: Caleb Fotheringham

In January, the Fijian police made a major drug bust, seizing almost five tonnes of methamphetamine with a street value of over FJ$2 billion. Fourteen people have been charged in relations to the seizure.

Authorities have acknowledged that international drug cartels are using Fiji as a transit point for hard drugs destined for the lucrative Australia and New Zealand markets.

Since then, there have been reports of children as young as 10 years old being addicted, as police continue to conduct drug raids and make arrests, including high school children.

A Flourish data visualization

The county’s substance abuse council this week revealed the number of new cases for HIV for the first half of the increased to over 500, surpassing the total cases (415) for 2023.

The council’s acting head, Josua Naisele, told the public broadcaster “the highest cases of HIV seem to be coming from people who are injecting themselves with drugs.”

Naisele has also warned that the [recent https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/525153/what-you-need-to-know-about-auckland-city-mission-food-parcel-meth-lolly-contamination “meth lollies”] find in New Zealand should ring alarm bells and he was “hoping and praying” it did not reach Fiji.

This time last year, the government rolled out a national plan to tackle a surge in the disease.

Pio Tikoduadua

Pio Tikoduadua. Photo: Facebook / Fiji Government

Home Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua told RNZ Pacific earlier this month “poverty” was the main driver of the drug issue.

He said the government was “really working” to tackle poverty in order “to address the drug crisis comprehensively”.

There are reports that bad actors have also penetrated the Police Force.

A senior police officer in Lautoka city is under investigation after he allegedly found with illicit drugs last month.

Tikoduadua, who is overseeing a major ‘police reset’, told the Fiji Sun newspaper: “The Police have problems, I acknowledge that.”

“There are people who have done things we are not proud of, we need to get rid of those people,” he was quoted as saying.

Shital Devi does not know anyone who takes drugs but sees regular updates from police that they've done drug busts.

Shital Devi does not know anyone who takes drugs but sees regular updates from police that they’ve done drug busts. Photo: Caleb Fotheringham

Shital Devi has been hearing regular updates through social media that police have conducted raids and found drugs.

“Before it was less but now you hear it almost every day,” she said.

Devi said did not know anyone personally who took drugs nor had she seen someone taking them, but she had seen bongs and needles left on the street.

“It’s getting worse because drugs these days, it’s not only with the adult users, it’s also with the school kids so the situation is really getting bad,” she said.

“If students are getting into it, it will harm their mental health, they will not end up anywhere, they will have no future.

“They will not know what responsibility is, they will just be addicted to drugs.”

Mesake Tapua says the worsening drug problem in Fiji is creating a bad image of the country.

Mesake Tapua says the worsening drug problem in Fiji is creating a bad image of the country. Photo: Caleb Fotheringham

Fiji relies on tourism as its key economic driver, welcoming over 920,000 visitors last year.

Australia and New Zealand holiday-goers are its key source markets, making over 70 percent of total arrivals. It is considered the centre of economic activities in the Pacific Island region.

But the meth crisis had given Fiji a bad image, another Suva local, Mesake Tapua, told RNZ Pacific.

“Fiji should be the first one to stop the problem before it goes out to small island states.”

He said he knew people who were using drugs.

“You can see it’s given [users] all kinds of diseases, it’s a new way of life for them.

“We’re concerned about the young people because it destroys their mind when they should be in college or in school.”

More than 50 zip lock plastics containing white crystals believed to be methamphetamine and 15 sachets of dried leaves believed to be marijuana were seized by Fiji Police on 13 August. Three men believed to be involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs were arrested in separate raids.

More than 50 zip lock plastics containing white crystals believed to be methamphetamine and 15 sachets of dried leaves believed to be marijuana were seized by Fiji Police on 13 August. Three men believed to be involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs were arrested in separate raids. Photo: Fiji Police Force

‘Bluetoothing’ is ‘glamourised’

Drug-Free World Fiji founder Kalesi Volatabu said the problem had spread through urban and rural environments, in all divisions across the island.

Volatabu said every second or third person in Fiji would know of someone taking meth.

“If it’s not within their own family, they will know of someone that actually has gone through that crisis,” she said, adding “anything from bluetoothing or sharing of needles or cocaine, heroin, inhalants, [to] the sniffing of glue.”

Volatabu said research done by her organisation in 2019 found drugs in Fiji were intended for the Fijian market and not only passing into bigger markets in Australia and New Zealand.

“The demand was here in this country and that was five years ago.”

Kalesi Volatabu

Kalesi Volatabu Photo: Facebook / Drug Free World – Fiji

Volatabu said bluetoothing did not work.

“People have glamorised it, they’ve sensationalised it.”

She said people thought they would get a “great high” from doing it or a “different high” but it was not the case and put their lives at risk.

“They’re putting themselves literally on the line every time. They don’t understand what they’re doing.”

Tongan murder victim in Hawai‘i laid to rest

By
Kaniva Staff
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The family of a Tongan man, who was reported to be a murder victim in Maui, Hawai’i, laid him to rest on Saturday in a cemetery in Patterson, California.

Sione Paletu’a, 53, passed away on July 20, 2024 after Lahaina Patrol Officers responded and attended a murder scene at around 11.46am the same day. 

“Upon arrival, a bystander led officers to a man who was observed to be breathing but was unresponsive and suffering from a severe injury to his arm”, Hawai’i media reported at the time.  

Two days later police arrested another Tongan man,  Seniola Kafoa Jr, 46, of Lahaina and charged him with second degree attempted murder.  

At the time, Kafoa remains in police custody with bail set at $500,000.

The police said the investigation was ongoing.

A preliminary investigation reveals an eyewitness observed the 46-year-old Lahaina man standing over the victim’s body before fleeing the scene in a red 2007 Honda Element.

At approximately 1.08 pm officers located the vehicle, abandoned off Honoapi’ilani Highway in Olowalu.

At approximately 4.03 pm Special Response Team and Lahaina Patrol personnel located the man at Honokōwai Park, where he was placed under arrest for suspicion of second degree murder.

Paletua’s children launched a fundraiser to help bring him back home from Hawai’i saying they wanted him to be laid to rest beside their mother, Lesieli Paletua, who passed away 12 years ago after battling cancer.

“The love and support from family and friends have been a source of solace for the Paletua children as they navigate this difficult period. They invite everyone to join them in honouring the memory of their beloved father, Sione Paletua”.

Tongan grandfather shot dead in vehicle in East Auckland

By
Kaniva Staff
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A Tongan grandfather was reportedly the victim of a deadly shooting on Monday morning in the East Auckland suburb of Pakuranga.

Saia Kokohu Vī. Photo/Supplied

A relative close to the family, who wished to remain anonymous, has shared the tragic incident with Kaniva News.

Meanwhile, relatives and what appeared to be family members have identified the victim on social media as Saia Kokohu Vi.

“RIP Dad Saia Kokohu Vi , ofa lahi atu”, a Facebook poster, who identified the deceased as their father, wrote in Tongan expressing their love for him.

“Ofa lahi atu Saia Kokohu Vi keke toka he nonga he aho ta’eiloa mo fkloloma . Ofa atu ki he uitou moe famili hono kotoa”, another poster identified the victim and offered condolences to the wife and their family.

Police descended on Marvon Downs Ave in Pakuranga, after locals reported hearing a series of gunshots about 6.45am.

One person was found injured inside a vehicle at the intersection of Marvon Downs Ave and Pixie Pl and died at the scene.

“There will be a significant Police presence in the area this morning, as we work to find out what has occurred and who is responsible,” a police spokesperson said.

Detective Inspector Kerry Watson told media from the cordon that this was a “critical incident”.

He was unable to confirm any injuries but said there were going to be a lot of police resources in the area.

“It’s going to take us some time to piece together what happened in the events that led up to this critical incident.”

Pakuranga residents reported on social media they had seen at least 14 police cars and a number of armed officers. Ambulances were also in attendance and the police Eagle helicopter was in the air overhead.

Armed police are standing guard on the entrances to the street and a section has been taped off.

Local school Elm Park said a “strong police presence” has responded to the incident.

“Police have responded to, please note there is no immediate danger to Elm Park School,” school principal Sarah Baleicakau said in a message to the school community.

“I have spoken to the police this morning and have been fully assured the school can remain open,” Baleicakau added.

Watson said they would be focused on making sure children got to school safely.

Widow asks why Westport hospital sent Filipino carpenter home before his death

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By Lee Scanlon of Westport News

Liselie Lozano was on the phone from the Philippines to her husband in Westport when he collapsed.

The Lozano family, from left: Lois, Hermone, Leo, Durt, Liselie and Eowyn (front).

Photo: Supplied

She heard his roommate cry to another flatmate: “Come here, come here, we’ll help Leo because he’s dying already.”

An hour later Leonides Lozano, 51, was pronounced dead at the Westport acute stabilisation unit (hospital).

Tomorrow he will be laid to rest in the Philippines. “I did not expect him to go home to us in a coffin,” Liselie said.

She wants to know why Westport hospital let Leo go home with extremely high blood pressure just hours before he died and why he was not given an ECG.

Leo Lozano’s death on 17 July has prompted a Serious Incident Review by Health NZ. His death has left his wife and four children, aged eight to 28, without a husband, father and sole breadwinner.

Speaking from their home in the Philippines, Liselie Lozano told The Westport News she was angry at the way her husband had been treated.

She said Leo went to Westport hospital about 8am on 17 July complaining of pain in his stomach, radiating to his backbone. A doctor believed the pain came from Leo’s stomach ulcers.

Liselie and Leonides Lozano in happier times.

Liselie was in the Philippines and talking on the phone to her husband Leo in Westport when he collapsed. Photo: Supplied

Liselie said she was on a video call with Leo when a doctor took his blood pressure. The first reading was so high, the doctor took it again. The reading was the same – 192.

“The doctor explained to Leo, ‘Your BP is high because of the stomach ulcers’.”

Leo was already on maintenance medication for his high blood pressure.

Liselie said she felt relieved her husband was being cared for in hospital. She expected he would stay there and receive treatment to reduce his blood pressure.

At midday she video-called Leo again. He was still in the hospital, eating lunch. He told her he had had blood tests and the results would decide whether he was admitted.

At 1.30pm Liselie video-called Leo again. He was driving back to the Cape Foulwind home he shared with workmates.

He told her, “The doctor said I’m OK, I can go out”, and to return to the hospital if he felt worse.

He was also told the hospital had sent a prescription to Buller Pharmacy for him, but it was not there when he called for it. The pharmacy told him to return at 4pm, Liselie said.

She called Leo back at 4.30pm. He told her he had only been prescribed omeprazole – a medicine commonly used to treat conditions like ulcers which produce too much acid in the stomach.

Liselie was shocked.

“I tell him, ‘The doctor did not give you medicine for your BP to go down?’ He said ‘no’… “I was very, very scared.”

Liselie said she told Leo to go back to the hospital. She heard him about to ask a roommate to drive him there when Leo collapsed.

“Leo’s roommate heard a loud thud and when he [opened] the door he saw Leo lying on the floor.”

The roommate called to their flatmate: “Come here, come here, we’ll help Leo because he’s dying already.”

Liselie shouted Leo’s name. He did not answer.

“Total silence already. I shout three times, and then all I can hear is the voice of Leo like, ‘Ah, ah, (gasping)’.

“I want to help him, I want to carry him, but all I have is my phone only in my hand … I’m helpless.”

Leo’s workmates knew he had been at the hospital that morning and rushed him back – a 10-minute drive from Cape Foulwind. Attempts to revive him failed and he was pronounced dead at 5.30pm.

Health NZ West Coast has previously refused to answer questions from The News, or to explain why Hato Hone St John Ambulance and local volunteer firefighters were called to the hospital to assist.

Health NZ West Coast would say only that the hospital – which has been plagued by short staffing and closures – was open and staffed as normal.

Health NZ West Coast has also refused to say whether there was a doctor on site when emergency services were called. The News understands there was not.

Liselie said she had later asked why her husband had been allowed to go home when his blood pressure was 192.

The doctor told her they had seen Leo eating his lunch and Leo had said: “I’m fine, good, no more pain.”

Hermone and Durt Lozano with their father's coffin.

Hermone and Durt Lozano with their father’s coffin. Photo: Supplied

Liselie asked why her husband had died.

“The doctor told me the stomach ulcers of Leo had burst and then they saw three and a half litres of blood in his stomach. And that was the cause of his cardiac arrest because no blood going to his heart.”

Liselie gave permission for an autopsy. It found “acute aortic dissection in the context of severe hypertensive heart disease, complicated by haemopericardium which was unretrievable”.

That means Leo had extremely high blood pressure, his main artery had ruptured, and blood had poured into the tissue surrounding his heart. It was an unsurvivable event.

“It is the opposite of what the doctor told me, that his stomach ulcer burst,” Liselie said. “That’s why I’m very angry. I still have four children here and Leo is the only one who support us.”

The family has three daughters: Hermone, eight, Eowyn 18 and Lois 28, and a son Durt, 11. Their father had been in Westport since February 2023, working as a carpenter for South Peak Homes.

Liselie said South Peak had told Leo the day before he died that his job was being made redundant and he would have to return to the Philippines if he could not find other work.

She said he was very stressed by the bad news.

South Peak was now paying her husband’s bank loans and had paid for his body to return to the Philippines, she said.

Leo had planned to apply for New Zealand residency for himself next year and bring his family to New Zealand to join him.

“What will we do now? …Leo is the only one who provide for us, he’s the family man, he’s the breadwinner.”

Liselie said she had spoken to doctors in the Philippines who thought New Zealand was a “good country” and could not understand what had happened.

“My husband paid tax, big tax, then a single medicine for my husband for his blood pressure to go down, the doctor did not give him. Why the doctor only give him omeprazole?”

Neither she nor Leo had received the results of the blood tests he had had in the hospital, she said.

– This story was first published by Westport News

Tonga drug bust: 17 people arrested, Comanchero gang clothing, patches and Harley-Davidson motorcycle seized  

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Tonga Police have arrested and charged 17 people in relation to seizure of more than 6 kilograms of methamphetamine, vehicles and assets linked to Comanchero motorcycle gang imported into the kingdom from the United States.

Two of those arrested are suspected to be members of the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.

The confiscated assets associated with the Comanchero included jackets, drug paraphernalia, T-shirts, hoodies, jacket vests, and 13 patches.

The police also seized TOP$12,058 in cash, firearms, ammunitions and eight vehicles.

The raids also led to the arrests of a Customs Officer and a HM Prisons Officer, who have now been charged with offences in relation to the import, a police statement said.

As Kaniva News reported last week a prison officer had been arrested and more officers had been investigated after illicit drugs and drug paraphernalia were seized from a vehicle at the prison compound. We also reported that a Customs Officer was also arrested last week after a container allegedly containing illicit drugs was released to the public.

Police investigations are still ongoing, but evidence obtained so far suggested that the importation of methamphetamine was organised from within prison by a prisoner who is currently serving a sentence at Hu’atolitoli Prison, the Police said in a statement.

Comanchero Motorcycle gang

The news comes amid reports by local media that Tonga police had been investigating two suspects of the Comanchero motorcycle gang who had been deported from Australia to Tonga, apparently trying to increase the presence of the gang in the kingdom.

Police said this afternoon Monday 19 they had seized methamphetamine weighing 3.5kg imported into Tonga in a crate from the United States, eight vehicles, one Harley-Davidson motorcycle, TOP$12,058 in cash, four cash counting machines, 16 mobile phones and other devices, four Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang jackets and drug paraphernalia.

All suspects have been charged, including charges in relation to the importation of methamphetamine and the possession of illicit drugs and drug utensils. Two of the persons arrested are alleged to be members of the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang. Another two of the persons arrested have been specifically charged in relation to a previous seizure by the Drugs Squad, of over 5 kilograms of methamphetamine in April 2024.

Over the past week, Tonga Police have uncovered illicit drug operations involving the importation, intended sale and distribution of methamphetamine in the Kingdom, and the laundering of the proceeds by persons and businesses to facilitate the ongoing purchase and import of methamphetamine.

The discovery resulted from controlled operations, led by the Tonga Police Drugs Squad (“Drugs Squad”) in close collaboration with the Ministry of Revenue & Customs.

On 9 August 2024, Tonga Police conducted raids at multiple locations in Tongatapu which led to the seizure of 2.6 kilograms of methamphetamine imported into the Kingdom in a crate from the United States.

 On 13 – 14 August 2024, the Drugs Squad and other Police units again conducted raids at multiple locations in Tongatapu which resulted in the arrest of four (4) females and nine (9) males between the age of twenty-two (22) to forty-eight (48), for illicit drugs offences.

All suspects have been charged, including charges in relation to the importation of methamphetamine and the possession of illicit drugs and drug utensils.

Two of those arrested have been specifically charged in relation to a previous seizure by the Drugs Squad, of over 5kg of methamphetamine in April 2024.

Ma’ufanga storage

On 15 August 2024, Police seized a large amount of clothing from a storage unit at Ma’ufanga, linked to one of the suspects arrested on 13 August 2024; the clothing consisted of 90 Comanchero T-shirts, hoodies and jacket vests, plus 13 Comanchero Patches.

On 16 August 2024, Police arrested a prominent businessman and searched his offices at ‘Umusi. He has been arrested for money laundering, in relation to his role in facilitating payments of the proceeds from the import and supply of illicit drugs from the Kingdom to drug importers in the United States.

On 17 August 2024, the Drugs Squad and the Tonga Police Tactical Response Group raided a residence at Hofoa and arrested a male who had just returned to the Kingdom from the United States. He was arrested for the importation into the Kingdom of the methamphetamine on 13 August 2024.

All suspects and seized items are currently in police custody.

“Tonga Police is sending a clear message to organized crime syndicates involved in the illegal importation Of drugs and laundering Of the proceeds, and OMCGs (Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs): we will not tolerate any illegal activities, and we will do everything in our power to identify, disrupt and bring to justice those involved in drug trafficking and money laundering, and to seize and confiscate the proceeds and assets purchased with the proceeds of crime”, the statement said.

“We need to strongly remind the public that the illegal import and export of illicit drugs (Class A) can result in life imprisonment.

“Tonga Police would also like to warn the public about the increased presence and illegal activities of the Comanchero OMCG (Outlaw Motorcycle Gang) in our community. There is no place in the Kingdom of Tonga for gangs and those who wish to associate with them and their illegal activities.

“Tonga Police is committed to working with Customs and other stakeholders in Tonga and with our international partners to ensure that Tonga is not a haven for criminals and gangs.

We encourage anyone with information about illicit drug activities and Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (particularly the Comanchero OMCG) to contact Tonga Police at phone numbers 740-1657, 740-1660, or 922 to assist us in ensuring the safety of our families and communities”.

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